


Mistletoe

by TheRedConverseGirl



Category: Naruto
Genre: Blank Period, F/M, First Kiss Fic, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Idiots in Love, Inspired by Bones, Kakashi the Captain of this Ship, Mistletoe, SasuSaku - Freeform, They just need a little push, Traditions, a month late, holiday fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:56:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28996338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedConverseGirl/pseuds/TheRedConverseGirl
Summary: Mistletoe is officially the worst (and the best) holiday tradition in Sakura’s opinion.[SasuSaku] [Ninjaverse + Holidays] [Blank Period] – Inspired by Bones S03E09.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 16
Kudos: 68





	Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> Don't mind me dropping this fic a month late :p
> 
> P.S.: Happy Birthday, Myr! and thank you, @onemorepineapple, for reading this earlier!
> 
> ~Happy Reading!

"Come again?" Sakura says, unable to process what the Hokage just told her. She heard him alright, but the absurdity of what he wants her to do is so outrageous that she has to ask for confirmation.

Kakashi's eyes crinkle above his mask as though her reaction is a small victory. It seems to amuse him greatly that she's still there, considering the proposition instead of punching him through the wall. A desperate Sakura will do desperate things, her behaviour says and she hates it.

"I think you heard me, but I can go into details if you'd like." He leans back on his chair and crosses his arms. "Think of the children, Sakura. We are a few days away from the holidays, it would be like charity work."

Immediately, she purses her lips and takes a deep breath. The problem is that he's not _wrong_. She came here for that exact reason: to help the children. Between the end of the War, the Hokage's transition, and the opening of the Children and Youth Mental Health clinic, a very significant request she sent months ago was lost in the piles of documents that await the new Hokage's approval.

Sakura doesn't even know who to blame. There was so much change in the past year and a half that she feels bad about complaining. The next plausible action was to come here in person and ask her dear sensei to prioritize the request – which consists of the expansion of the clinic's budget and facilities.

This is not something she's proud of, Sakura does not play favorites or ask for favors. But the holidays are just around the corner and she couldn't take it anymore; she wanted to give "her kids" everything they deserved, especially in an occasion that reminds them of everything they've lost.

"You're so _mean_." Sakura whines and reluctantly approaches his desk.

"Mean? Like you wouldn't be enjoying every second of it."

" _Sensei!_ " She shakes her fist, knuckles turning white, but doesn't strike his desk like she wants to – and that's only because the piece of furniture is an antique, she tells herself, not because the Hokage speaks the truth. "Go on," she mumbles.

"I will place your request on the top of the pile and review it within twenty-four hours. Though, I have one condition: you have to kiss Sasuke." Sakura opens her mouth to protest, but Kakashi is faster. "If you want me to dive in that sea of paperwork, find everything I need to review your request, which includes the budget allocation, the permit for the expansion, and a series of other things regarding the land and environmental laws, you will need to meet the terms of my condition."

Dazed by his explanation, Sakura swallows and sits down in front of him. The first time he said it, she thought it was a joke, a simple tease. Since the formation of Team Seven, Kakashi has playfully pushed Sakura and Sasuke to situations like this one, and she always blamed that stupid orange book he carries everywhere – the thing turned him into a closet romantic.

A kiss, huh? If she goes through with this, her first kiss – the kiss she's dreaming about since ever – would be a sham. But it would still be with Sasuke, like she's always hoped for. _Wait_ , a kiss can be friendly too. This way, she can still approach the situation without ruining the future of her relationship with Sasuke.

"And don't even try to find a loop. You will kiss Sasuke. Not on the cheek, not on the forehead, you'll kiss him... On. The. Lips."

"How did you—"

"—for eight Hashiramas, nine Hashiramas, _ten_ Hashiramas." Kakashi counts each finger as he speaks, showing her his two hands.

"What?!" _She is not kissing Sasuke for ten seconds! Is the new Hokage drinking too or just crazy?_ "You can't be serious!"

"As a heart-attack, Sakura." Kakashi leans forward, resting his elbows on his desk, and continues with a brazen assurance. "To sign your little request, I want to see you kissing Sasuke, under a mistletoe, for ten seconds."

Sakura slumps in her seat, feeling dejected. Her sensei's tone is final, he's using his "Hokage's voice", and Sakura knows it's no use objecting to his conditions. It's a take or leave kind of deal. Yet, she gives it one last try.

"What if I do your laundry instead? Buy your groceries for a whole month? Groom the dogs? Anything else..."

"No."

"But why a kiss? Why him?" She gives a low moan of despair, hands covering her burning cheeks.

"Because... _that_ would entertain me quite a lot."

* * *

By the time Sakura leaves the Hokage Tower, she's furious to an imaginable degree, each one of her steps cracks the pavement beneath her feet.

_Who does he think he is?_ Her shoulders heave as she takes deep breaths. _That perv thinks he can manipulate me? Get free entertainment at my expense?_

On days like these, Sakura has a habit of questioning why she's still here, slaving away her prime years, when the _leader_ of this village doesn't take her seriously.

As she puts distance between herself and the source of her new problems, Sakura starts to calm down. She tries not to think about it. She doesn't think about Sasuke or the kiss. She doesn't think about what ifs and consequences. She simply marches to the market and buys a single mistletoe.

Sakura treats each action as part of a mission; efficiently and detached, like the trained kunoichi she is. She makes her way to her office, stopping only to greet Konohamaru, promptly asking him to deliver a message to her teammate on his way to the training grounds.

Her day goes as usual. Sakura is able to forget everything, focusing on the kids. She finishes a pile of paperwork in record time and gives two lectures at the learning center – today, her Craft class is about holiday decorations. The children are starting to trust her and the clinic's staff. They still don't open up as easily as Sakura would like, but the process is not as strenuous as two months ago. And, that's why this upgrade is so important for Sakura and the kids; they need this, they need hope.

Five o'clock strikes faster than lightning, and Sakura hurries back to her office. She has glitter on her hair and stickers all over her clothes, and that's probably glue underneath her fingernails, but she doesn't care. She _feels…_ happy.

When she enters the room, the first thing she sees is the offending decoration on top of her desk. The mistletoe is lush, a beautiful evergreen, tied with a vibrant red bow. Any other day, the sight of it would make Sakura grin like an idiot. Today, it sucks the light out of her.

Sighing through her nose, Sakura strides across the room and snatches it. She won't let a simple object torture her any further; she'll hook it on the ceiling and she'll kiss her teammate under it. Then, when the moment passes and he's gone, she'll crush the little thing with her fist and turn it into dust.

She goes around her desk and grabs a roll of tape. Concentrating chakra on her feet, she walks up the wall and onto the ceiling, then all the way back to the room's entrance. Her hair falls out of her bun and she feels the hem of her dress-shirt bunching up her thighs, exposing her black shorts.

Upside down, Sakura crouches and tapes the decoration to the ceiling, letting it hang a few steps away from the office's threshold. She's about to drop down to the floor when someone knocks and pushes the door open.

"Sakura?"

"Up here."

The voice doesn't surprise her; she knows it's Sasuke before he steps in the room. Many call it intuition or even sixth sense, Sakura calls it "The Tingle." As the name suggests, she feels a tingling sensation on the back of her neck every time the raven-haired nin is nearby. It's not like a regular tingle though. It prickles with a precise intensity, like an itch or feeble sting, and stops when their proximity closes.

"Why are you on the ceiling?"

"I'm decorating." She lands beside him and inspects the greenery, fluffing up the leaves with extreme care. "You got my message. Thanks for coming."

"Mistletoe?"

"Yes! I'm glad you brought that up." Sakura turns to him, putting on her most professional face. "Remember I was telling you that I requested a couple improvements for the clinic the other day?" Sasuke nods and she keeps going. "So, it turns out it was taking forever because they were kind of lost. _But,_ Kakashi-sensei will make an exception and work on them now."

Sasuke makes a humming sound of understanding at the back of his throat, but still eyes her with suspicion – and that's probably because she didn't finish the sentence with a smile or he might sense the "but" coming.

"That's good."

" _However_ ," Sakura pauses and inhales deeply. "For that, I have to kiss you."

_There_ , she said it. Sakura mentally pats herself on the back for not stuttering. She tells him as though she's commenting on the weather, with no enthusiasm nor dread in her voice.

"What?"

For once, his reaction is slightly different from what she's used to. It's almost imperceptible, but Sakura notices the subtle change in the cadence of his voice. She doesn't ponder over it though; she does not need to know if he's repulsed by the idea of kissing her or not.

"It's his condition," she explains with a shrug. "To speed things up."

"Tch." Sasuke frowns and doesn't meet her eyes. "Like when you kiss Naruto?"

So as not to laugh, Sakura gives him a tight smile, because _no_ , it's not like when she kisses Naruto's cheek on occasions that he's being a good friend. Kakashi is acting puckish; he wants to stir some tension (as if they needed any more of _that_ ).

"No, that's like a brother and sister kind of kiss. Strictly limited to the cheek area." She pokes one cheek and then the other. "I'll peck _you_ on the lips."

"I'll go talk to that old perv."

"No, you won't." She states, stopping him from leaving. "I don't need you to fix things for me." Here he presses his lips into a thin line, probably because he's usually the one tossing that sentence their way, not the other way around. "Besides, I'm not asking for your help, I'm simply informing you."

" _Informing_ me?"

"Yes, so you don't get surprised and head for the hills when I _do_ kiss you."

"Oh, you are all here." Kakashi interrupts them, stopping in the doorway, and they both look at their former sensei with twin scowls on their faces.

"I can't believe you are actually on time for once in your life." She shakes her head. "And what do you have there?"

Kakashi holds the manila folder up at arm's length. "Paperwork for you."

"That one?"

"Yes," he confirms, then glances around the room. "Now it's your turn." The bastard sounds eager to "receive" his part of the deal. Kakashi sing-songed the demand as though he's a school girl watching the climax of her favorite Rom-Com.

Sakura takes a deep breath and tries not to avert her eyes when they land at her _prey_. Now that it's time to move and get the kiss going, she is not so sure about it anymore (especially in terms of how to start it). She shifts her weight from one leg to the other and wills her body to step closer, but her feet don't move.

As if sensing her anxiety, Kakashi approaches them and speaks up. "Oh look, Sasuke, a cute little mistletoe!" The new Hokage pats his former student's back and then shoves him under the ornament. "And you're right underneath it."

_Okay._

_Shitshitshit._

_It's now or never._

Ignoring any signs of protests, including Sasuke's irritated grunt after Kakashi's little "push", Sakura goes on her tiptoes and aims for his mouth, smashing their lips together. She closes her eyes, refusing to look at his startled ones for any second longer, and starts counting the seconds in her head.

_One Hashirama..._

Chapped lips are pressed against hers, but they are anything but rough. They feel so warm, so firm, and nothing like she'd imagined. It's so much more that Sakura has the urge to repress a gratifying hum.

_Two Hashiramas..._

He smells faintly like smoke and sweat, and Sakura remembers that he'd been training earlier, and it makes her wonder how many Katons were pushed through his lips... _and is this hazy scent permanent?_ It makes her head spin, turning everything foggy. _Has she noticed this before or is it only perceptible when she's this close to him?_

_Three Hashiramas…_

Although her heartbeat sounds pretty much like endless drumming in her ears and there's a swarm of butterflies in her stomach, the warmth that his body emanates seems to calm her to the point she's not as rigid as a rod. Pushing her luck (because only Kami knows how long he'll allow her to latch onto him like this), Sakura tilts her head slightly to the side and allows their lips to intertwine.

_Four Hashiramas..._

It's hard to describe how his mouth feels against hers when they move. Maybe because it feels so good that she can't concentrate or maybe because it's simply impossible to put into words. The only thing she can think of is that it sears... It strokes a fire inside of her, searing and marking her forever. When he tips his head towards her, chasing her lips with more urgency, she reaches for his shirt and grips the soft fabric in her fist.

_Six Hashiramas..._

And she can't help it, she tugs his bottom lip and draws it into her mouth. Nibbling and nipping, and tasting him until he's the one stealing her lip and holding between his teeth.

_Seven..._

There's no denying: they are really kissing now. This is a full-fledged kiss, nothing close to chaste or innocent. They moved slowly at first, and it was sweet and inquiring, like a curious kiss usually is. Now, she's two seconds away from pushing her tongue past his lips.

As if reading her mind, Sasuke swipes the tip of his tongue over the seam of her lips before she has the chance to do anything. Her breathing hitches when their tongues touch and it feels as though everything is amplified; the feel of his mouth moving against hers, his smell, the thruming of her heart, his taste. Everything is better, heavenly so.

The feel of his fingers ghosting her side reminds her that apart from their very busy mouths, they are not really touching. She still has a hold of his _shirt_ , but that's all. If they were alone, she's sure things would be different (she'd lace her arms around his neck and press their bodies together, for one).

Although she has this dim memory where Kakashi clears his throat and says _"thank you, it was lovely doing business with you,"_ or something along those lines, there's no way of knowing for sure – without breaking apart that is – if the thud she heard afterwards was from the door shutting behind the Hokage or not.

Sakura doesn't know how long they stay like that, shameless kissing under a mistletoe (she lost count some time ago), but her toes cramp from the strain of supporting her, and she's sure Sasuke's neck is suffering a similar discomfort.

It's only then that she has the mind to step backwards and break the connection. Their lips part with a wet smack that sounds too loud in the empty room. She feels her face burning, cheeks heating with embarrassment earned by her bold behaviour.

Tipping her head down, Sakura releases a shuddering breath and tries to collect herself. She stares at his shadow, unmoving on the floor, and when the silence stretches and they are no longer panting, she looks up again.

"Thank you for your help," she says. _So lame_. _Ugh_. "I owe you one." She doesn't add his name at the end like she's used to, because she's sure it would sound broken and husky and she's not ready to deal with _that_ when she hasn't even dealt with their _longer-than-ten-seconds_ first kiss.

Sakura turns to her desk and packs her bag, missing how Sasuke frowns as his eyes follow her. She doesn't notice his hesitation nor sees his hand twitching as though he's fighting not to reach for her. She only hears him leaving, the soft click of the door opening and then closing.

When it feels safe to turn around, she marches towards the door and yanks the stupid holiday decoration from the ceiling with one hard tug. As promised, she crushes it into her palm, fingers digging into her flesh, until there's only dust left.

* * *

It's a quarter past seven when she opens the front door and enters her apartment, closing the door with abrupt finality, as if that would keep reality locked outside. She discards her belongings, removing her shoes and hanging her coat like she does every day.

Everything seems the same, except that when she pads barefoot towards her living room, Sakura senses she's not alone. That familiar prickling feeling stings the expanse of her nape. The _Tingle_ makes her shiver, and the usual thrill she feels is replaced by annoyance as her Sasuke-sense flares.

"I know you are here, Sasuke."

Stepping out of the shadows, her teammate looks at her with a question in his eyes, curiosity raising one of his brows. He didn't expect to get caught so easily, she thinks, remembering that his chakra masking skills are the best in their team (he makes sure to rub that on Naruto's face more often than not).

"I just knew." She shakes her hand in a dismissive manner, not bothering with an explanation (because how could she make the _love of her life_ understand that she has this freaking sixth sense that tells her he's close without sounding like a delusional stalker?).

She feels the weight of his stare on her as he crosses the kitchen's threshold and comes closer. His eyes never leave her and her fingers twitch at her sides, begging for something to do. She has half a mind to grab the hair tie from around her wrist and pull her pink locks into a ponytail. When he steps in front of her a second later, she decides it's too late, and her mouth opens before she can even process what's happening.

"Do you want me to apologize because…" _I can't. If I apologize it means I regret doing it._ His blank face doesn't help, but doesn't scare her either. She won't say she's sorry because she isn't, so she offers him a way out instead. "Let's just forget it happened."

The words hang in the air between them. When she said them, she expected to see some kind of instant relief washing over his features, maybe a nod and possibly a "thank you," but never _this_.

_He's_ … Sasuke is clearly angry. A sneer curls his lips in displeasure and he releases shallow, raspy breaths with intense precision.

"You can tell me to go away." There's a taut edge to Sasuke's voice that makes her swallow for more reasons than one. "Tell me it sucked, but you can't tell me to forget it."

He steps closer and his Sharingan flickers once, and it feels like he's drawing a parallel to his words, punctuating a sentence.

"I can still feel it… as if you've _imprinted_ in me."

He tells her in a way as if that's a bad thing. If Sakura didn't know him, she'd believe that's exactly what he meant, but after years of reading the few emotions he displays and his barely-there gestures, Sakura knows it's just plain old annoyance he's feeling over something he can't control. Sasuke needs control.

"I-I…" She stutters, bringing her fingers up to cover her mouth as she relives the memory, mentally agreeing with him; she can still feel the ghost of that kiss.

"It burns, Sakura." She closes her eyes when he says her name because _goddamit_ it does things to her. "I have fire running in my veins, I toss Katons left and right since I was a kid… but _that_?" Her eyes snap open just in time to see him pointing to the kitchen's window, a straight line to the clinic's rooftop. "It burns... and the only thing I can think of that will help is…"

She watches as he trails off, swallowing slowly, and she almost does the same. This is worse than before, the room is stifling hot and the tension pours around them with vengeance. Sasuke, who just talked more in two minutes than he did the entire month, is suddenly silent and she just _needs_ to know how to fix this... _them_.

"What would help?" She whispers.

Her eyes are trained on his dark ones but she notices his arm diving lower from her peripheral. There's a rustle of clothing and then Sasuke brings his hand up and holds it between them. Her gaze follows the movement and catches the sight of what he's holding.

Sakura blinks a couple of times and asks, "Is that a... _leaf_?"

He gives her a small nod and her heart skips a beat at the implication. Sasuke wants to kiss her, he doesn't hate her or their first kiss; on the contrary, he wants _more_.

The makeshift mistletoe hangs between them and she bites her lip in anticipation. It's just a single oak leaf, which he probably snatched from a branch on his way there, and it's kind of ugly and his fingers are almost snapping it in two, but it also makes her hate the stupid holiday tradition less and less.

"I'm informing you of my intentions, just so you don't run up the mountains—"

"Head for the hills." She corrects him with a smile.

"—when I _do_ kiss you."

His prosthetic arm circles her waist and pulls her closer as his lips descend to hers for a second time that day. Everything returns with a rush, and it feels as though they've never left her office. They continue from where they left off, urgently kissing, but this time there are no fears, no witnesses, and no imminent ending.

* * *

_**Bonus Scene** _

* * *

"Ne, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura calls when their lips part and Sasuke kisses his way to her neck.

"Hn."

"Next month, we have that mission." She pauses and her hand trails a path up his arm, stopping to hold onto his shoulder when he bites her. "The one where we'll escort Kaka-sensei to the Alliance summit. Remember?"

Sasuke ignores her and simply sucks at her pulse point, tearing a moan from her. He's probably trying to shut her up – which is kind of ironic when she keeps crying out like that – but she needs to tell him her plan before she forgets.

Bracing himself on his elbows, Sasuke leans back and nips at her jawline. They moved to the couch after standing against the living room wall for sometime. With a content sigh, she continues. "I saw him eyeing the Mizukage the last time she was here."

"Who?" He asks and kisses the corner of her mouth.

She struggles for self-control, but gives in and follows his mouth until they are kissing. One hand leaves his shoulder and threads in his hair, not letting him deepen the kiss. She holds him a breath away from her and hooded eyes glare at her.

"During the mission, we could…" She licks her lips, swiping her tongue over his mouth and he groans. "We could escort him to the wrong room or _something_."

She ends the explanation with a peck on his lips. She holds her mouth there, covering his, for a few seconds until he agrees with a hum. This kiss is simple, different from the many others they shared that day, but still loaded with so much love that it makes her wonder if their mistletoe kiss was bound to bring them together no matter what.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! (any typos will be fixed tomorrow)
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> xoxo


End file.
